Well well well what do we have here you might ask? Well what we have is the Groove by Doc Johnson which is considered an anal probe. However in my experience it has been so much more. The Groove is designed for those of you who may like to take things a little deeper without the wide stretch involved. I'm not extremely experienced yet in anal play, but personally I feel this is more suited towards beginners to intermediate users. It isn't huge like many of the other toys out there on the market; it is much thinner allowing for easy penetration.

While designed as an anal probe for thrusting, I have found other users for this groovy little probe. While I do not yet own a butt plug, I have experimented to find out that the Groove can actually be used at a plug. Its base isn't the safest or largest, but for a beginner to intermediate person such as myself, it works great. Once you get past the last bulb at the bottom, the base is large enough to stop it from slipping inside all the way. The probe is water-proof allowing you to take it into the tub or shower, however it will be harder to use with water-based lube. The material heats and cools to body temperature or other sources for temperature play. I can even imagine you could use it in conjunction with other toys for double penetration purposes. I don't know much about O-rings or harnesses, but I think this one could be used with one of those. However keep in mind with 6" of insertable length this one is not for everyone. The beaded design makes a unique sensation for anal or vaginal play, especially with thrusting.

The Groove probe is made from Doc Johnson's 100% premium grade platinum silicone. This is a food-grade material that is safe for the body without harsh toxins. It comes with great benefits such as---Hypo-allergenic / Latex free / Non-porous / Phthalates free / Water-proof / Boilable / Bleachable / Dishwasher safe.

Upon first smelling this probe before cleaning it, there was some sort of very faint odor of I guess silicone? Could be residue from manufacturing processes, it is important to wash it before first use. After doing this there were no noticeable odors before, during, or after use of this toy. The material is firm but soft, yet flexible and durable. It is a smooth surface with bumpy anal beads, however there is drag to the material over the skin without lube. The material overall is very comfortable and bendable for anal play. I recommend ONLY water-based lubes because silicone-based lube will most likely destroy the toy.

The material is not sticky or tacky even after use and cleaning it. It is a wonderful sky blue like color with a glittery silver shimmer to it. Very attractive if you ask me! This is a one piece mold so there are no visible seams at all which makes for a more comfortable experience with this probe. The underside of the base is shiny and smooth; it also likes to stick to flat smooth surfaces. But there is no suction cup on this!

Measuring in at 7" total length with 6" insertable length, this one is not short at all. 6" is a lot of take in anally at least for me. But because this toy is thin in size (5/8" at the tip) it is easy to take all the way in. I like this design and shape overall; I think the size is just fine; however the material can be too flexible at times. My sphincter is tight a lot of the time upon first use (even with lube), so pushing the tip in is challenging at times because it wants to bend and not go in. After I work it in it is very comfortable and contours to my body as it slides in and out.

The widest bulb near the base will be the hardest part to take for a beginner, it measures at 1 1/2" wide which is not small for us new users. So plenty of lube and warm-up is required (also patience). I love the fact the design encompasses a multiple toy design of a probe and butt plug. I must warn any of the advanced users to be careful with the base, if you are fairly advanced the base is more susceptible for accidental slippage. This is not a good stretching or filling toy for any advanced users also. This is hardly a discreet design and toy, I would keep it hidden. But however it is small and I could see traveling with this in a storage box or zip lock bag wrapped in clothes.

Here are some measurements I took starting at the tip and working down to the base.

Tip---5/8" wide
2nd bulb---3/4" wide
3rd bulb---7/8" wide
4th bulb---1 1/8" wide
5th bulb---1 1/2" wide (quite a jump in size)
Base---2" Wide

First I will highlight some nice features in the performance of this probe. To start, I have personally tried thrusting with this probe and it is amazing. I usually only go to the 3rd bulb (as described in measurements) for thrusting, unfortunately it's uncomfortable for now going over that last one. So it performs great for thrusting, I also enjoy it in pretty much every position and in the shower. It works great as a plug, it is very comfortable and stays put nicely without popping out. Little lube will go far and make it easy to slide in.

Now to what is not so great, I feel it's just too flexible overall. The material is so flexible that upon first use every time (even with lube) it's somewhat challenging to insert it. The probe just wants to bend rather than slide or pop in. So usually a finger is required in aiding it inside of me. Also, trying to ride this probe isn't the easiest thing, unless you keep it straight, any slight bending will bend the probe significantly. So as I try to ride the probe it often wants to bend and pop out (not always), so I usually use it lying down.

Caring for your silicone Groove is pretty easy and there are a lot of options. You can boil, bleach, hand wash, place in a dishwasher, use toy cleaner/wipes or use anti-bacterial soap and hot water. I personally like to hand wash with anti-bacterial soap and then boil in a pot of water for 3 minutes. I learned this from CookieMonsterMike! Thank you!

I have learned that you can only use water-based lubes safely with silicone toys. The use of a silicone lube will possibly cause permanent damage to the toy! For storing purposes there are a few options overall. Because this material is a lint/dust magnet, you might want to put it in a zip lock bag away from all of that. I generally store mine in a small box under the bed and it works great. You should keep the probe on its side and out of sunlight. Keeping it in a zip lock back will also help protect it from other materials. What sometimes happens when storing toys together and they physically touch, the materials bond, or react and cause damage.

This came in a clam-shell packaging container that can be used to store the toy. Otherwise I think it is recyclable and can be thrown out. There is some information on the packaging, such as what the Groove is, it's features of silicone material etc. The product and packaging is not discreet at all, so I don't recommend giving it as a gift or keeping it out. The packaging clearly states "Made in USA" and has company information for contacting them on their website.

This has been my first toy used for anal play and experimentation. CookieMonsterMike has been helping me for some time now here on Eden Fantasy's and recommended this to me as a nice starting toy to experiment with. I'm super glad he did this because I really love this toy. After much use I have not out-grown it and it is still very useful. So I just wanted to give a special thanks to CookieMonsterMike for being super helpful and being a great mentor through a couple of my reviews. I never thought I would be writing anything this detailed in my life!

While in my experience this toy has not done anything for my prostate, otherwise it does feel really amazing. When I thrust it inside of me and masturbate at the same time the feeling is near indescribable. Boy and when I come there is nothing like it! I have come while the probe was inside of me like a plug, but it quickly shot out of me! Also this has been nice to experiment with using a finger and the probe at the same time! Water-based lube is really working well with this probe and adheres nicely.